


new deal

by crumpled_up



Series: July 2020 Camp NaNoWriMo of May/Coulson fics [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, take the deal I'm already dead, takes place during s4, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25057960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crumpled_up/pseuds/crumpled_up
Summary: What if May gave Ghost Rider a deal he couldn't refuse?
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Series: July 2020 Camp NaNoWriMo of May/Coulson fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812664
Comments: 8
Kudos: 48





	new deal

**Author's Note:**

> Just another what if that's been rattling around in my head since I saw S4 about a couple years ago (I binged everything before S6). I had some crazy, confusing idea originally, but it was too ridiculous to try and write. I ended up with this instead. Enjoy.

"I knew you'd do something stupid like this."

May had one hand on her hip as she glared at Coulson and Robbie Reyes, hiding in one of the many alcoves around the ruined base. They both looked up at her as if she caught them making an illegal deal. Which, she supposed was exactly what was going down.

"This is why I can't leave you alone," May continued. "You tend to do reckless things."

Reyes chuckled. "Man, she's got a tight leash on you, buddy."

"May," Coulson said, "You shouldn't be here."

"Then that means I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." She marched up to the two men, glancing between them. It didn't take a genius to figure out Coulson's next greatest and boldest and dumbest move right now. His hero complex must be raging, along with his level of desperation.

"So, what kind of deal is he trying to make now?" she asked Reyes.

Reyes smirked. "You should ask him."

"It probably has something to do with sacrficing his life to save us and kill Aida, I'm sure."

"May, this is the only way--"

She rounded on him with her most intense glare yet. "The only way? I'm sure we can still think of a number of ways to get rid of Aida without you dying again."

"That's not--"

May turned to Reyes again. "How bad?"

"He wants to use the Rider's power in exchange for his life. You know how the Rider is about getting rid of things that shouldn't belong, and well..."

"Coulson being alive is bothering him?"

"More like what's keeping him alive is."

GH325. Damn it. She knew that would come back and haunt them. "So, the Rider would what, burn through the serum keeping Coulson alive?"

Reyes nodded. "Something like that."

"This is your only way?" May shook her head. "What happened to team work? Why suddenly go all lone wolf, Coulson?"

"I shouldn't be alive," he replied so quietly she almost couldn't hear him. "I should've died years ago."

"And I should've died months ago, yet here we are."

"This isn't easy, May. But I've accepted it. I've accepted death. It's the natural order of things. I should be dead."

"Well, I haven't." An idea sparked in her head. If Coulson could be just as bold and reckless, why couldn't she? She turned to Reyes. "I have a counter offer."

"What? May, no!" He reached out to grab her elbow, but she pulled away. "May--"

"I'm listening," Reyes said, adjusting the chain wrapped around his torso. "So is the Rider."

"Take me instead."

"May--"

"You said the Rider is all about vengance and feeding off of pain, right?" May continued as if there was no interruption. "Well, I've got plenty of that."

"Don't listen to her, Robbie!" Coulson said. "She's not like that."

"I don't have a problem killing, and he could feed off my pain for a long, long time. I can promise you that."

"No offense, but don't you seem a little too... old?" Robbie said as he gave her a once over. "Like, I said no offense. You look great for your age, but if you want to carry the Rider around with you and go on adventures with him, it's not easy, even for me."

"If you think I'm old, then why go after Coulson?"

"Hey! I'm like maybe two years older than you."

Reyes chuckled. "Coulson's is temporary. Just long enough to fool and kill Aida. But what you're saying is..."

"Long term," May confirmed. "I become the new Rider. You'll be free, Robbie."

He folded his arms in thought. "Hmm..."

"May, what are you doing?" Coulson said, grabbing her shoulder to turn to him. "This is crazy! And you said my plan was reckless?"

"At least you'll be alive!" she hissed. "Unless you're ready to give it all up?"

"I..." Coulson swallowed.

"You're not ready. Daisy isn't either. If she found you right now, she wouldn't hestitate to quake you to stop you from making this deal."

"And you are?" he fired back.

"I'm not ready to lose you again," she said softly. 

He sighed. "This is my choice."

"You don't get to make it alone." She stood straighter. "If the Rider takes my deal, I won't be dead. Robbie will be free. You'll be alive. It's a win-win, Coulson."

"Then what about..." He swallowed again as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Us?"

May scoffed. "There is no us, Coulson. If you go through with your deal, there is no us. You can't be with someone if they're dead."

"This is cute and all," Reyes said, giving them a bored look. "But time's ticking. Do you want my help or not?"

May turned to Reyes. "Your concerns about my health and age won't be a problem. I'll admit, I'm not at my best fighting capacity right now after being strapped to a board for weeks, but give me a few more weeks and I'll be back in top form."

"We don't have a few weeks, May," Reyes said. "This goes down now or not at all."

May couldn't hold back the smirk. "Then let's go for a test drive. You're not gonna buy a car without testing it out first, right? Tell the Rider."

"You sure about this?" Reyes and Coulson asked at the same time. 

"I mean," Reyes said, "this ain't no walk in the park, May. The Rider means business and he doesn't like people going back on their word. He'll be the literal devil inside of you. You'll have no choice but to obey him. And when he wants to go off to other worlds, you go too."

"Yeah, what he said," Coulson said, jerking his thumb over at Reyes. "You don't want that, May."

She raised an eyebrow. "And you do?"

"It's only temporary."

"Temporary enough to burn through what's keeping you alive. No thanks." She looked over at Reyes and nodded. "I'm ready when you are. Having to fight something that's trying to control me from the inside is nothing new. Killing is nothing new. Getting revenge is nothing new."

"You ride?"

May let her smirk turn into a deadly grin. "Bikes, cars, whatever you want. But if you ask me, I prefer flying."

"You got a plane?"

"I could get one easily." She glanced over at Coulson. "I'm taking a Quinjet."

Reyes whistled. "That'll be new for the Rider. And he's very interested right now."

"May," Coulson said as he pulled her off to the side. "May, think about this."

"I have."

"I can't do this without you."

May tried to not let that get to her. He was trying to break her resolve. But her desire to keep him alive longer would beat out any of his intentions. "Yes, you can. You don't need me around. You've built the team up to where they can function by themselves without you constantly hovering over them. They're good, strong agents, and even better people."

"That's why I should be the one to take the deal!"

"The world is better off with you alive in it, Phil. Trust me. It needs more good people like you and Daisy and the others."

"The world needs strong people like you, May. We need you. The team, everyone needs you."

She shook her head as she pulled away. "Not as much as you. Besides, I'm just a pilot." She turned to the other man. "We have a deal, Reyes?"

"The Rider's up for it. But just to be clear, this is only a test drive. If he doesn't like you... He wants Coulson."

May shot a warning look over at Coulson. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

"Are you sure about this, May?" Coulson asked as he stood next to her. "There's still time to go back."

She shook her head. "This way we all stay alive and Aida dies."

"And if Ghost Rider likes you?"

"Then I get to kick more ass." She stood her ground. "You won't change my mind, Phil."

"You might want to step back, Coulson," Reyes said. "I haven't really done this before, so who knows how it'll go." Once Coulson was out of earshot, he leaned in closer to May. "Thank you for doing this. This means a lot to me."

"Hey, this is just a test drive, remember?"

"I've got a good feeling about you." He glanced over at Coulson. "You must really care about him."

"You'd do anything for your brother. It's the same thing."

"He's a lucky son of a bitch. I hope he knows that."

"The world is better off with him alive in it," she repeated to him. "It's something we'd all do for each other here at SHIELD."

"Trust me, when we do this, you won't be thinking that. Just tell me one thing: Does he know how you feel about him?"

May glanced over at Coulson who had his arms crossed in front of his chest, watching them intently as if she would burst into flames the second Reyes touched her. Did Coulson know? Considering what he stumbled through admitting he did with her LMD, probably.

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I probably won't be around long enough for him to find out."

Reyes frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"You seem to disappear for months at a time. Sounds like I'll be spending more time fighting off world than staying here."

He shrugged. "That'll be up to you and Rider to negotiate. I was able to keep my day job as a mechanic for a while."

"Is that what you plan on doing with your freedom?"

"Maybe. I gotta take care of my brother for sure. I'll figure it out."

"There's always a spot in SHIELD. They'll need a strong guy like you with me gone. Not to mention Daisy will most likely stick around if Coulson has anything to say about it. You'd probably be a good reason to keep her around, too. He'll be more than happy to take you on."

Reyes smirked. "I thought you were just the pilot?"

"I am." She took a deep breath. "Are we going to do this or what?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, they flickered orange and red as if on fire, then dimmed. "Let's do it." He held out his hand.

May glanced between his outstreched hand, Reyes' fire tinted eyes, then rested on Coulson. He would live, he would continue on saving the world. That was all that mattered.

She reached out and grabbed Reyes' hand


End file.
